


Not An Act, But A Habit

by tielan



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Jaegers, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-06
Updated: 2014-01-06
Packaged: 2018-01-07 17:36:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,404
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1122570
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tielan/pseuds/tielan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>She’s the voice in their helmets; the one thing outside the Jaeger of which they can be sure. And while the Marshal gives the orders, and the Jaegers fight the <i>kaiju</i>, the LOCCENT Chief keeps everything going. That's her job.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Not An Act, But A Habit

**Author's Note:**

  * For [igrockspock](https://archiveofourown.org/users/igrockspock/gifts).



> "I am fascinated by crossovers in which S.H.I.E.L.D. agents or other movie characters are members of the Order of the Phoenix (Harry Potter) or Jaeger pilots (Pacific Rim)..."

They never found anyone who was Drift-compatible with her. Too hard, too sharp, too cold, too blunt, and with major Daddy-issues, said the neuropsychs.

“Screw ‘em,” was Fury’s advice.

Maria had planned to do that anyway.

As it was, she didn’t think that heroism was in her profile. Sheer, cold necessity, perhaps, but none of the passionate bravery for which the Jaeger pilots were known and hailed as the saviors of the world.

Her talents lay elsewhere.

* * *

His body and mind were burning and the hole in his consciousness burned as he moved _Iron Man_ forward, step by weighted step, almost staggering through the sea.

Two pilots to balance the neural load, where one would burn out. _Don’t think, just do…_

Two pilots – right hemisphere, left hemisphere, to operate together in the Drift. _Right foot, left foot, right foot, left foot, right hole…_

Buzzing in his head – the electric hollow of his missing co-pilot. Then a cool voice that slid through the cracks of his mind: female, steady, anchoring. “—nel Rhodes. Come in, Colonel Rhodes. This is SHIELD LOCCENT to Iron Man. Come in, Colonel Rhodes—”

It took him a while to get his tongue working. “Hill?”

“Colonel. Good to hear from you.”

“Stark’s gone.” His Jaeger plodded back to shore, step by sluggish step, every movement an effort. “Mamushi got him.”

“And you got Mamushi.” The words rolled around his head, empty of meaning, empty of thought. She was trying to be encouraging, but there was nothing she could do.

Rhodey wasn’t okay. He’d never be okay again.

* * *

“Do you downtime, Chief?”

Maria lifted her head to stare at the redhead leaning against the LOCCENT doorway. Even in the shapeless, formless uniforms of the PPDC, Romanoff managed to look like she’d just stepped out of a fashion shoot. “Doesn’t everyone?”

“I don’t believe I’ve ever seen you anywhere but in the Shatterdome.”

“I’m only here when there’s work to be done.”

“But the work never stops.” Romanoff frowned. Men would have fallen at her feet for the chance to be the recipient of one of her frowns.

“Exactly.”

That seemed to stump the Russian for a moment before she took a deep breath and started again. “Monica and I were hoping you would take us around the city. Show us the sights.”

“I’m busy—” Then Maria refrained from fistpumping as she found a line of diagnostic code that might very well be the one that had been tripping up the techs all week. “Okay, so, I may not be. Why me?”

“Monica reasons your presence might keep the worst opportunists at bay.”

Maria looked up, brows arched. The pilots of _Black Widow_ were  two extremely photogenic women who also had one of the best kill scores across the Jaeger program. Nothing short of extreme radioactivity was going to keep the guys away – and even that was no bet. “And you?”

The smile was arch and sly. “I believe we can get you drunk enough to spill the personnel secrets of this Shatterdome.”

Her mouth twitched, amused in spite of herself. “Keep believing it, Romanoff.”

* * *

The headset fell from his nerveless fingers to the floor. Steve stared out the LOCCENT window into the staging area, not seeing any of it, not hearing the sharp concern of the Lieutenant as she said his name twice, then switched the call over.

“This is Hill. Captain Rogers can’t—” Her eyes widened and she turned to the computers sharply. “When? Where—? Right.”

He felt dizzy, cold all over, like the time he and Bucky got caught out in the snow while mountaineering in their downtime.

Hill was still speaking to Marshal Phillips, words that ricocheted off Steve’s mind, leaving only the barest imprint in his concsiousness.“We can get him out to the Icebox in the next twenty-four, sir. Yes, sir.”

Peggy’s leaving hadn’t been like this. But then, she’d been the love of his life, not the other half of his soul.

A warm hand gripped his arm. “Captain?”

“Chief.”

“I’ll have a chopper for you on the pad in an hour. You need to get ready to leave.”

He was frozen, but he could nod. “Yes. Thank you, Chief.”

“You’re still alive, Rogers,” was all she said. “So’s your co-pilot. It counts.”

* * *

Bruce liked the Kwoon late at night.It was usually empty; quiet and peaceful. A good time to meditate, to settle his mind for the night after the chaos of the day.

Tonight, though, he pushed open the doors and stopped.

“Chief Hill.” He eyed the hanbõ balanced in her palms, the bare feet, the centered weight. “ _Kata_?”

“It helps settle me at the end of the day.”

“After dealing with ego-ridden Jaeger pilots with serious anger management issues?”

To her credit, she didn’t bat an eyelash as he parroted her words back at her. “Among other things.”

Bruce took a moment to study the woman who angled the hanbõ across her body like a defence. Jennifer found Chief Hill cold and distant, but then, too, Jennifer was social, and the Chief was…not. In that, Hill was like Bruce.

“Mind if I join you? Just solo _kata_ ,” he added as Hill’s brow arched.

She shrugged. “Be my guest.”

They picked up the movements where she’d left off, content to be silent, to know nothing other than the silence of the night and the patterns of the _kata_.

* * *

Clint’s mind was burning, fraying at the edges as he struggled. Kate needed him, the Hawk needed him, he had to—

“You don’t have to do anything.” Kate’s voice was sharp, as sharp as her mind in the Drift – all quicksilver thoughts where Clint took longer to think things through, considering the angles and lines of sight.

“What—?”

He jerked, his body convulsing, a cold ache spreading all through his joints. It shivered his flesh and twitched his limbs and he felt his jaw lock, teeth clenched together. Around him, Kate’s grip tightened. “Clint! Clint! LOCCENT, he’s going into shock—!”

“No,” he managed. “‘m okay.”

“You are so _not_ okay.” Her statement was angry – nearly as angry as the tears he could feel burning on his cheeks – her cheeks, actually – but they felt like his cheeks in the ghost-Drift. “LOCCENT, where the fuck is the JumpHawk squad?”

“On their way,” came the Chief’s steady voice. “They’re bringing in Asgard Thunder, they’ll pick you up on the way out. Black Widow’s leading the Trickster north...”

He relaxed into that voice, crisp and clean, relaxed into Kate’s grip – into the strength and the fear that pounded against his/her/his ribcage, relaxed into the familiarity of her mind and the knowledge that Tash and Monica were taking care of the _kaiju_.

* * *

Piloting with Sif was unlike piloting with Loki.

Loki’s mind was shadows and secrets, subtle thoughts and diversions that kept Thor from seeing him true. According to the Drift neuropsychs, some minds are capable of that – Loki was one such.

Sif had no shadows; rather, she shone bright as the lightning pulled from the sky.

“Asgard Thunder, neural handshake strong and steady. You’re good to go.”

Within the Drift, their minds skimmed through the battle-games of their childhood, Thor the commander, three neighbouring boys his lieutenants, and Loki the master of spies. And Sif, who refused to be queen, and instead declared herself warrior champion of the army.

 _You linger on that memory,_ Sif noted, exasperated. _Every time we pilot._

Hill’s crisp words washed over their ears in the Conn-Pod link, reporting on the status of the downed Jaeger, Hawk’s Eye, and Black Widow’s fight with the beast – codenamed ‘Trickster.’

 _You were right._ Thor flashed up the memory of Fury standing solitary and grim at the LOCCENT window, listening to the battle engaged far away from the Shatterdome’s walls. _The commander hold responsibility to his troops; he cannot be the lone hero._

 _Not the_ lone _hero, perhaps,_ Sif allowed, a quick smile on her lips.

Thor grinned back. _No,_ he agreed. _Not alone._

* * *

At the end of the day, the Marshal issues the orders, the praise, and the censure, and the Jaegers fight the _kaiju_ , but the LOCCENT Chief keeps everything going, keeps everything on even keel - even when the world’s spinning out of control.

That’s Maria’s job, and she’ll do it until they win this war, or go down fighting.

 

_We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.  
_

_~Aristotle~  
_

**Author's Note:**

> Jaegers and pilot pairings:  
> Tony Stark & James Rhodes: _Iron Man_  
>  Bruce Banner & Jennifer Walters: _Hulk Smash_  
>  Steve Rogers & Bucky Barnes: _Captain America_  
>  Natasha Romanoff & Monica Chang: _Black Widow_  
>  Clint Barton & Kate Bishop: _Hawk’s Eye_  
>  Thor Odinsson & Sif Sigismund: _Asgard Thunder_
> 
>  _Asgard Thunder_ was formerly piloted by Thor Odinsson  & Loki Laufeysson, before Loki was dishonourably discharged for reasons that haven't been revealed to the public.
> 
> I picked the Jaeger partnerships based on functionality rather than ship preferences.
> 
> JARVIS is, of course, the Jaeger AI; ' _Mamushi_ ' is an East Asian pit viper snake (ie. "Snake"); and, yes, Tony survived the fall and got back in the Conn-Pod.


End file.
